Dearest Mother
by RosieAnnieUSA
Summary: Caroline Porter has a lot to tell her mother, in the summer after the Porterville Bank was blown up. Originally written for a challenge.


June 3, 1880

Dearest Mother:

It was so good to hear that you and Daddy are enjoying your grand tour of the continent. I can hardly imagine Venice, a city where all the streets are canals! I am sure that spending the summer in Brighton will be delightful for you both. Here in Porterville, summer is starting dry and dusty.

I am so glad that Daddy is proud of me, and the way I've run the bank during his long absence! Only you, dear Mother, can know how badly I want to impress Daddy. Especially after the attempted robbery! Oh Mother, if it weren't for Sheriff Trevor's friends, Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones, things could have gone from bad to worse very quickly. If I live to be 100, I will always remember the sight of all the paper money floating down from the sky like big snowflakes.

Unfortunately, you will probably not get a chance to meet Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones. Lom said that they had urgent business elsewhere, and they were gone the next morning. They were both very charming, especially Mr. Jones. Maybe they will visit Porterville again, but Lom says it's not very likely. Oh well.

Please let Daddy know that I do consult with Sheriff Trevors regularly, as he suggested. Lom is certainly very diligent about his responsibilities, and very trustworthy. Who would have expected that from a former outlaw? Reverend Tripp thinks it is because he is trying to make up for his disgraceful past. He thinks the Sheriff should always set an example, especially in regards to young ladies. Maybe the Reverend is right on both counts. Lom is especially proper and formal with me. Faith Evans thinks that maybe it is because he admires me, but is too shy to say so. That hardly seems possible to me. A man who was brave enough to commit armed robbery in the past could not be afraid of someone such as me.

Well, enough with the maybes for now. I will write again next week about all the latest developments. I am sure you hope that an exploding tunnel is not one of them!

Your loving daughter, Caroline Porter

June 12, 1880

Dearest Mother:

Some good news! I took Daddy's advice, and asked Sheriff Trevors to make the rounds and let people know that "found" money could be returned, no questions asked. He recovered $183! That means the total loss to the bank is now only $47.53! Isn't it amazing? He truly is a remarkable man. Porterville is so lucky to have him.

I was a little bold, Mother, but I want you to know, I acted only as a responsible and grateful bank manager should. I told him I would like to take him to dinner, to discuss business, of course. Would you believe it, Mother, I think he actually blushed! At first he said he could not allow a young lady to purchase dinner for an old man like himself. How silly! He may have a few gray hairs, but he is certainly not old!

I explained to him that I was asking in my role as bank manager. He said "Oh." And then "Oh. I see." And he just looked down at the floor and shuffled his feet. Honestly, Mother, it was so sweet. He looked like a small boy whose candy had been stolen. I realized, suddenly, that he must be very lonely. I think maybe Reverend Tripp is right. Lom has dedicated himself to making good for all the ill he did when he was much younger, so much so that he takes very little time for pleasure. I've never even heard of his courting anyone, although he is certainly a handsome man and an eligible catch.

Well, Mother, for a moment there, I didn't know what to say. I know you are thinking "that never happens!" But it is true. My heart just went out to him. Finally, I said, as humbly as I could, I might be making the request as a bank manager, but that I hoped we could spend the evening together as friends and neighbors. At this, he cleared his throat, and said that would be perfectly appropriate, and that I should expect him at 7:00pm.

I wish you were here, Mother, to help me choose the appropriate dress for tonight. When Mr. Jones took me to dinner that one time, I'm afraid I overdressed. I was probably trying too hard to impress him. Unlike Mr. Jones, Lom and I already know each other, and I can enjoy my time with him as I would with any friend.

I will write more in a day or so, Mother, because I need time to get ready for our dinner tonight. I will tell you all about it!

Your loving daughter, Caroline Porter

June 27, 1880

Dearest Mother,

I apologize sincerely for being so lax about writing. The last several days have been a bit of a whirlwind, what with the reconstruction of the bank proceeding so quickly. The building will be bigger and safer than ever, and we will absolutely make sure that even the most determined miner cannot tunnel underneath ever again!

I have found myself spending quite a bit of time with Lom. His ideas on security for the bank are excellent, and we have had many long conversations touching on that, but also many other subjects.

Do you remember, Mother, how I told you that I convinced Lom to have dinner with me by stressing our connection as friends and neighbors. Maybe that is where it all started. Our conversation seemed awkward, at first. Maybe Lom still thought of me as a young girl, the indulged daughter of a wealthy family. Maybe I thought of Lom as conservative older man, so wrapped up in his duties that he had no time for things like courting.

Lom did insist he would pay for dinner, but I said, as a friend, that he must allow me to purchase the wine. He agreed to do that, and that good wine probably loosened our tongues a bit. Not that mine really needed to be loosened! But the Madeira helped him to relax, and I suppose it helped me, too. We stayed the whole evening at the restaurant, talking naturally and easily for hours, until closing time.

He walked me home that night, since it was late, and very properly took me to the front door, and came inside only long enough to make sure everything was as it should be. As he was leaving, he stopped with his hand on the door handle and became shy again. He asked, would my parents think it acceptable if I accompanied him to dinner again? Oh Mother, my ladylike demeanor came in handy then, because my heart started pounding so hard in my chest. I only said, I'm sure they would, since they specifically told me to rely on you, and for my own part, well . . . I had been hoping he would ask.

You've told me, Mother, on more than one occasion, that a young lady must constantly be on her guard, and that I am probably a bit too naïve and trusting. I have made extra efforts to be always on my best behavior, as I think you know, and to make you and Daddy proud of me. You have always told me that a lady's reputation is priceless, and I have never forgotten that. I assure you, no one can say that I am anything but a proper lady in public.

When I'm with Lom, though, I feel as though I can always be just me. He has known me since I was a young girl, after all. He accepts me for who I truly am, not who society or my job demand I be.

How did I ever think Lom was brusque or unfeeling? Even with all his accomplishments, he has a sensitive soul, and he hides it with formality. The more time I spend with him, the more I see the tenderness that has somehow survived a hard and unhappy life. After all the bad things he's seen and experienced, he still has a kind and caring heart.

And, I admit that I am young enough, even at age 23, to admire his physical features. Some people have said his blue eyes can be cold, and I suppose they are, if you are a criminal. To me, they are the windows to his beautiful soul. And he is such a tall man! I feel completely safe and protected when I am with him.

I must close now. Lom is meeting me in half an hour. Can you believe I need so little time to get ready? I think it is because he and I are so comfortable with each other. There is no need for pretense. I am very happy.

Your loving daughter, Caroline Porter

August 3, 1880

Dearest Mother,

I received a packet of delayed letters from you yesterday and stayed up much too late, reading them all. I do miss you and your sensible advice, and am grateful that you always have my best interest in mind.

I am so, so sorry to hear that Daddy broke his leg during his first fox hunt, but glad to learn that he is expected to fully recover. Of course, that will delay your return, but let me assure you, you and he have nothing to worry about here. Everything is going exceedingly well with the bank. The reputation of Porterville, its sheriff, and our bank, have grown even brighter since the attempted robbery this spring. New businesses and homes are springing up faster than weeds, and that only contributes to the growth of the bank's business.

I must express surprise, however, at your rather unexpected insistence that I distance myself from Lom. It was you and Daddy who strongly advised me to take advantage of his expertise and wisdom and to lean on him. When I do exactly that, you become alarmed. This is very confusing.

You and Daddy left me in charge of the bank because, and I quote you directly, "we trust your good judgment." As you trusted me then, you must trust me now, especially since your return is delayed several weeks. I may be young, as you remind me, but I am not unintelligent. I know that the young men who courted me in the past were encouraged by you and Daddy, and that you were disappointed I discouraged them. I think it is a mark of my intelligence that I did discourage them. They were so, so young, almost unformed! And many of them cared more for Daddy's money than for me. Don't deny it, for you know it is true.

Why are you concerned about Lom's only having a sheriff's salary? How is that relevant to anything? He is a good, kind man, who cares about me. And I care about him, so very much.

Please don't fret, Mother. All is well in Porterville. I have your good advice to guide me, of course, but I must rely on my own sense and my own heart, because that is what ultimately will ensure my future happiness.

Your loving daughter, Caroline Porter

September 15, 1880

Dearest Mother,

Another bundle of letters has arrived from you, but I confess, I have not opened them yet. I hope you are sitting down, because I have tremendous news. Lom has proposed marriage to me, and I have accepted his offer. I nearly burst open with joy. He actually went down on one knee, took my hand in his, and spoke from his heart. He apologized that all he could offer me was the kind of living that a sheriff could provide, and he knew that was less than I was used to. Of course, I had not yet told him about the trust fund that you and Daddy settled on me when I was 21, so he did not know that money would not be a concern.

Even so, he promised to always love me and cherish me, and to do all he could to make me happy. I cried, and I think he had tears in his eyes, too. And we kissed, for the first time, but surely not the last.

But that is not the biggest news. I told him only one thing would make me happier than I was at that moment, and that was being with him, as his wife, as soon as possible. He thought that I would prefer to wait until your return, but I told him I did not want to wait to begin our life together. So, ten days later, we stood in Reverend Tripp's church and, in front of our friends and neighbors, became man and wife.

Lom's friends, Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones, returned to Porterville for the wedding. Mr. Jones walked me down the aisle, and Mr. Smith served as Lom's best man. It was so wonderful to have them here, to support Lom. They teased Lom, of course, as men do, but you could tell they were so happy for him.

I hope you will be as happy for me, as Lom's friends were for him. As for me, Mother, I never thought I could know such happiness. It all happened so quickly, over the course of this summer, and I know you expressed concern about me getting involved so fast. Maybe you were right to be concerned. I did get involved, very quickly. And I regret nothing.

We spent our first night as man and wife in the guest suite at home. I told Lom I knew it's what you would have wanted. We plan to take a honeymoon trip after you and Daddy return in October, probably just a week to Glenwood Hot Springs. And then we will be settled into our married life. Maybe, if we are very lucky, I will be in the family way by the time of your return.

Who would have believed all this would happen? I certainly did not, and from the tone of your letters, neither did you or Daddy. Yet it did.

I will read your letters in a day or two. Lom will be home shortly, and I want to spend every precious moment I can with my wonderful husband.

Your loving daughter, Caroline Porter Trevors

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